Our Fair Share Of Abuse by secretlybronte (R)

[akamine_chan]

Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski
Length: 10,500 words
Author on LJ: secretlybronte
Author Website: none
Why this must be read: Because secretlybronte has a special touch with Ray Kowalski and this fic showcases her abundant skills. She has the ability to capture the complex personalities of the characters and the universe they inhabit, presenting it in a unique perspective.

At the heart of secretlybronte's talent is her love of Ray Kowalski and it shows in every careful detail that she uses to bring him to life. She shows him as a man, as a cop, as half of a partnership. She shows us characteristics we don't normally associate with Ray. She shows us a man who is content to make it through another day with his parter at his side. She shows us love.

Our Fair Share Of Abuse is a meaty casefic, long and complex, following Ray on the trail of a rapist that's terrorizing the public parks of Chicago. We watch as Ray does what he does best: interrogate suspects, chase leads, run into dead ends, follow his instincts.

It's also a story about relationships, about romance, tangible and heartwarming. This Ray and Fraser are real—they argue, they snipe, they work through their problems as best they can. Their partnership is tight, solid. And a wonder to see.



"I might have to find all of them, huh? They on that phone?" Ray stabbed at it with his finger. "Phone company probably has a record of your calls. Big hassle, though. You think maybe you just forgot him?"

"Say I did know him," Rosetti said. "You know, say you told me a little more and I remembered him. You'd leave, right?"

"No. 'Cause I so enjoy talking to you. I'd just sit here and continue this engaging conversation that we are having. This conversation in which you tell me nothing and I ask you—without kicking you in the head—to tell me something and you tell me nothing and I ask you again and you tell me nothing. Again. I ask you: who would not want to stay?"



Our Fair Share Of Abuse

Comments

[nos4a2no9.livejournal.com]

Excellent rec, Aka! I really love this fic for all there reasons you articulated: it provides us with this fresh, interesting, unique and vital examination of RayK, and it's really refreshing in the sense that we see Ray be GREAT at his job without Fraser's assistance. And yep, she really captures the realistic aspects of their dynamic, and how their relationship is as much about the snark and the snipe as it is about the love and the tenderness. That's a really difficult emotional give-and-take to convey (I'm not capable of it myself - I always err on the side of goopey sentimentality), and SB nailed it in every way. And, god the sex and the emotionalism at the end gets me every time.

In fact, I'm off to reread right now. Thanks for the terrific rec!

[akamine_chan]

Thanks so much, Nos. I love this story so much...hopefully other people will read it and love it too. *g*